Data-tracking company Media Sonar used by police to monitor peaceful protest groups

The social media privileges of a London technology company are coming under greater scrutiny as the impact of its software use by police to monitor peaceful protest groups widens.

Media Sonar’s data-tracking software has been banned by Twitter. Media Sonar is now under review by Facebook, said a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a move that may lead to it being banned from the social media giant.

“Facebook has taken steps to audit the companies that have access to its data and to tighten its policies regarding surveillance,” said Matt Cagle, a lawyer with ACLU in California.

Media Sonar is one of the companies Facebook is reviewing, he said.

“Facebook is taking steps to limit the use of data for surveillance and reassessing how it allows outside companies to use data-mining. We know Facebook is concerned. They want to restrict use of data for surveillance.”

A Facebook spokesperson could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

Media Sonar, on Horton Street, has sold software to police and law enforcement agencies, marketing it as a tool to gather data from

social media to help identify threats to public safety.

But an investigation by the American Civil Liberties Union found police used the London-made technology to monitor hashtags such as #BlackLivesMatter, #DontShoot, #ImUnarmed and #PoliceBrutality.

The ACLU also revealed that when Media Sonar was trying to sell its software in 2015 to police in Fresno, Calif., the company said it could be used to monitor protesters.

Media Sonar can’t wash its hands of the police use of its software to monitor protesters, specifically those in the Black Lives Matter campaign, Cagle said.

“In the documents we reviewed from Fresno, there are marketing materials that suggest the product had been used to monitor hashtags associated with Black Lives Matter. It is concerning when a company encourages monitoring lawful protesters about political matters,” Cagle said.

“When a company provides a list of hashtags that can be searched and that includes protesters and peaceful movements, that is concerning. People should not be branded as threats to safety by expressing political opinions.”

David Strucke, chief executive of Media Sonar, declined repeated requests for an interview but did send an email response.

“As an organization, we actively promote the ethical and responsible use of our product to our clients.”

The ALCU sent The Free Press a copy of a letter Media Sonar sent to Fresno police in 2015. The letter states: “The following words can be extremely effective in proactive policing, if you have any improvements, correction or additions, please let us know.”

The letter lists hundreds of words under subheadings such as weapons, gangs, narcotics, cyber bullying, property crimes and human trafficking.

The last column in the letter is under the heading “Mike Brown related” and it includes Black Lives Matter and Dont Shoot (sic), as well as several tags related to Mike Brown, an 18-year-old black man shot to death by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014, sparking protests.

The ACLU also took police to task for using software, such as Media Sonar’s, without approval from their political bosses.

“When police acquire surveillance technology in secret, it raises the risk of not being able to guard against abuse. There is no oversight,” Cagle said.

The issue of how data-mining software such as Media Sonar’s is used underscores a larger issue of technology use in the age of social media, he said.

“Law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are finding new, creative ways to get to that data. It is incumbent on tech companies to take a stand” against it, he said.

“A lot of companies are now grappling with how to approach law enforcement.”

“Media Sonar is a growing tech company in London that provides software to a broad range of clients in both the private and public sectors. Our software allows organizations of all kinds to quickly and easily collect and analyze publicly available online data to support a broad range of business objectives from brand management through to emergency management.

“We are actively hiring as we continue to grow our business and remain focused on delivering the best product experience for our clients.”

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